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Zuma breaks ranks with Mbeki over Zimbabwe
Sipho Khumalo, Cape Times
April 09, 2008

http://www.capetimes.co.za/?fArticleId=4343908

Delay in announcing results does not augur well for democracy - ANC President

Durban - ANC president Jacob Zuma, in comments that are in stark contrast to President Thabo Mbeki's statement on the Zimbabwean elections, says it is unfortunate that more than a week has passed without that country releasing its presidential results.

Meanwhile, the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the Zimbabwean Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) demanded in a joint statement that the results be announced.

Interviewed yesterday, Zuma said he did not think the delay augured well for democracy in Africa.

His view differs from that of Mbeki, who told journalists in London at the weekend that the situation in Zimbabwe was "manageable" and that Africans should be given space to deal with situations on the continent.

"I think the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission should have announced results by now, Zuma said.

"It is not a good thing to keep the nation in suspense. Now the Zimbabwean elections have become an international issue. We all expected that once the elections were finished, results would be announced. Now there are suspicions from the people."

Zuma confirmed that he had met Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, but declined to disclose details of their meeting.

"It was a confidential meeting and I am not at liberty to reveal its content," said Zuma.

Wellington Chibebe, general secretary of the ZCTU, said: "If there is a clear winner, that winner must form a government. If there is no winner, the election must be re-run, with an increased number of international and local observers."

The ZCTU said during a press briefing in Braamfontein that it and other civil society formations were under "intense pressure" to initiate protests in the face of the refusal of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to announce the presidential election results.

The union federation said it was aware that such protests might be what President Robert Mugabe was praying for because it would give him an excuse to declare a state of emergency and rule by decree.

"For that reason, we are urging all our members to remain calm."

Asked about Mbeki's view that the situation was manageable in Zimbabwe, Chibebe said he thought the statement was rather unfortunate.

"People have suffered enough, we want everyone else to compel the electoral commission to announce the results," he said.

Meanwhile, the country's Commercial Farmers' Union said yesterday that militiamen loyal to Mugabe had driven around 60 farmers, one of them a black commercial farmer, from their land.

"They said (the black farmer) had voted for the opposition," farmers' union president Trevor Gifford said.

Workers' homes on the man's farm had been burnt.

"By the weekend we expect hundreds will have been evicted."

Gifford said farmers were made to leave their farms with only the clothes they were wearing.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana has raised the possibility of sending EU election observers to Zimbabwe if a second-round presidential vote takes place.

"It is true that a mission of observation of the second round could be very important. It would be a mixed EU-African Union (mission), or separate - we'll see," he said.

Harare refused to allow European or US observers into the country for the presidential and other elections last month.

Solana said AU leaders were concerned that they had been unable to contact Mugabe recently.

He said he had spoken on Monday to Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, the AU's president, and his "big concern" was that the African leaders "have not been able to be in contact with President Mugabe".

"All the efforts that have been made have been a failure," Solana told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee in Brussels.

Mozambique's President Armando Guebuza said his country was willing to accommodate refugees from Zimbabwe in the event of post-election violence.

Speaking at an event in Maputo marking Women's Day, Guebuza said he was willing to accept refugees from Zimbabwe.

"We are thinking of the good of the people of Zimbabwe," he said in response to questions about the possibility of an influx of refugees if violence erupted.

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